What is the Image of God, and Why Does it Matter?

The Latin term ‘imago Dei’ — meaning “the image of God” — is a fundamental Judeo-Christian theological concept taken from the Genesis account of the creation story (Genesis 1):

26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings[b] in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth,[c] and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

27 So God created human beings[d] in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

So what does this mean to be created in the “image of God”? To put it in more understandable terms, anyone who has children understands having “created” human beings in their own image. It’s far more intimate than simply saying “he looks like me.” It’s far more than that. There’s a personal investment. Part of us is in that child. Saying “that’s my child” isn’t just a statement of ownership, it’s a statement of identity.

We often tell others that when they insult or attack our children, they are insulting or attacking us. In truth, we probably defend our children more intensely than we defend ourselves. So when you consider the relationship of humankind to God in this light, then Jesus comments in Matthew 25 make much more sense:

41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.[g] 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

It’s the “Imago Dei” that makes every human being a diamond in the rough. It’s what gives us our value. Humans may not be created equal in the sense that we are carbon copies — we have different looks, different talents, different circumstances, etc. — but every human being is born of equal worth because of the inherent “image of God” in his/her DNA that can never be removed.

Human beings tend to think we are more important if we have wealth, position, power, looks, intelligence, and so on. Jesus clearly stated that is a fantasy. We think our self-importance makes us superior. We justify denying assistance to the poor by saying “they are lazy freeloaders” not proud self-made men like me. I shouldn’t have to help them. We can oppress and deny justice to blacks because they were slaves and an inferior class of people. Mexicans, Asians, immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, disabled, elderly, and on and on.

But Jesus says that if you neglect that poor man, you neglect me. If you oppress that black man, you oppress me. If you shoot tear gas in the face of an asylum seeker, you are shooting tear gas in my face. If you deny healthcare to the poor and elderly, you deny healthcare to me.

This makes sense of Jesus “greatest commandment” statement in Matthew 22:

36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’[e] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[f] 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Note the “second is equally important.” Jesus is saying these go together. They are inseparable. The entire law and prophets is built on these two commandments — not one of the two, but both together. You can’t love God without also loving your neighbor. “Whatever you do to your neighbor, you do to me.”

This is why Jesus said, “By their fruits you will know them.” A lot of people call themselves Christians, but the true disciples are easy to tell apart from the fakes. Anyone who does not fervently defend the rights and needs of the poor, the disabled and the marginalized, is not a Christian. By supporting policies that neglect and oppress these people, they are actively oppressing and attacking Jesus Christ. That, by very definition, is anti-Christ.

What is Legalism? And Why Is It Anti-Christ?

If you asked someone, “Are most people you know self-centered?” (Or you could name any other of a dozen sins). They will undoubtedly answer “Yes!” If you ask them “Are you self-centered?”, they will answer “Absolutely not! I am a very caring and unselfish person.” Human nature, as Jesus so aptly put it, is to see the splinters in our neighbor’s eye, but not see the 2×4 sticking out of our own eye.

Legalism is the same way. Everyone you talk to knows it’s bad, and that it’s a widespread destructive disease within Christianity, but you will never talk to a person who says, “I’m a legalist.” It’s always the church or the Christian across the street that is legalistic.

So what is legalism?

Simply put, legalism is set of religious beliefs and practices that is based on a system of law (usually euphemised as “moral law”). It’s an important distinction that these laws are almost exclusively “negative laws” — that is to say naming things you cannot do. Common examples are: you can’t eat pork, you can’t drink alcohol, you can’t use tobacco, you can’t gamble, you can’t have same sex relationships, you can’t have an abortion, etc.

So what’s wrong with having laws?

1. They are man-made laws claiming to be God’s laws. It is idolatry.

2. They are used to control people. Religious people make laws that they have no problem keeping, which makes them feel like the righteous ones and gives them the authority to issues edicts of punishment over those who break the laws.

3. They work contrary to God’s revealed plan of SAVING PEOPLE. That’s why it’s called a “plan of salvation.” Laws do not save anyone. All you have to do is look at our drug laws, the prohibition era, or drunk driving laws. Laws don’t prevent whatever behavior you outlaw, laws simply give you a basis for punishing people who do those behaviors. Legalism then, turns the church into a rod of punishment rather than an instrument of salvation.

So how is legalism anti-Christ?

1. It invalidates the word of Christ. Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” He only had two commands we needed to keep: “love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.” Legalism says, “No that’s not true.” Legalism calls Jesus a liar. On the one hand it’s much easier for a person to omit certain “sins” that they aren’t inclined to, than it is to love their black or Muslim neighbor like their own family member, or instead of buying that new boat or vacation home, using that money to feed the poor or provide shelter for the homeless or medical care for the sick.

2. It invalidates the work of Christ. The New Testament books of Romans, Galatians and Hebrews, especially, declare in uncertain terms that the law and grace are incompatible. That is to say that grace came to take the place of law. Romans clearly states that the purpose of the law was merely to condemn us (see point #3 above) and that the death of Christ satisfied the punishments of the law, making the law unnecessary and opening a way to God through the righteousness of Christ. We are saved by grace and that not of ourselves. It is not grace AND… The Galatian letter says those who are adding legal requirements have trampled the blood of Christ and made his death of no effect. They are putting themselves under condemnation again. We will either stand condemned by the law or we will stand saved by grace. There is no third option.

So what does that mean for me?

It means you need to reject the spirit of anti-Christ wherever you find it, even if you find it in a church. If your church or the so-called “Christians” you associate with, are focused primarily on a list of bad things they think people shouldn’t be doing (abortion, gay marriage, drinking, dancing, smoking, etc.) and yet you find they are guilty of far worse sins — tolerating/supporting racism, the oppression of the poor, immigrants, and refugees, aren’t actively involved in serving the poor, fighting for social justice, and so on; that should be a HUGE RED FLAG for you that you need to leave that association and find a body of believers that are actively involved in being an instrument of salvation and restoration.

Satan masquerades as an angel of light. There are many who call themselves Christian who are messengers of Satan intent on destroying the work of Christ. We need to have the discernment to recognize the difference and not be found to be enemies of Christ. Christ only has two laws: Love God and Love Your Neighbor. Christ’s laws don’t condemn anyone. Christ’s laws don’t bring punishment to anyone. They bring healing, restoration and reconciliation to a broken and hurting world. That is what we who call ourselves by His name are to be about. By their fruits you will recognize them.

Who’s My Brother?

On an almost daily basis, I see these types of inspirational articles show up in the media. Great and courageous stories of people sacrificing to relieve the unimaginable suffering of millions of refugees.

One would expect Christians to be at the forefront of these efforts (Americans at least), instead it’s Israelis, Greeks, Spaniards, Canadians and French — atheists, Jews, and many more of undetermined faith identity.

This all reminds me of a poem I wrote some 30 years ago, which in hindsight seems that it was written just for this occasion:

The True Brother  

I fought with one in battle
who spoke of mighty deeds.
I thought he was my brother
for he understood my creeds.

But when wounded in the battle
I looked to him in need.
He just quoted me his doctrine
and left me there to bleed.

Another chanced by later
who pulled me from the fray.
He wore a different uniform,
but he saved my life that day.

He didn’t speak my language
or understand my creeds,
but I knew I’d met my brother
for he did my Father’s deeds.

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” –John 13:35